"Ladies and gentlemen, for today's auction, we will begin with a very special item," Huang Shengyi said, her voice a seductive melody. It possessed a natural rhythm that effortlessly captivated the men and made the women question their own desires. Men blushed deeply, and women hid their faces as a second, seductively dressed woman walked gracefully onto the stage, carrying a golden tray covered by a thin blue cloth.
Huang Shengyi removed the cloth with a flourish, revealing a grey, nut-sized pill resting on the metal. "This is a medium-grade Bone-Condensing Pill, concocted by Alchemist Yan Xi of the Alchemist Guild."
The hall instantly fell silent. The Bone-Condensing Pill was a rare and expensive item used specifically in the first stage of cultivation, the Bone Forging realm. This stage was widely considered the true foundation of a cultivator's entire future, where the skeleton was strengthened to properly endure higher levels of power. Under its influence, the bones became harder than refined steel, and the bone marrow was cleansed to bring out the full, hidden potential that lay within one's blood.
"Fifty thousand gold notes!" a black-robed man shouted from the crowd.
His sudden bid shattered the silence, not because he was of particularly high status, but because the starting price was already far above standard market value. Few ordinary people could afford to spend so much on a single pill, even for their most promising young cultivators. The crowd turned in unison to see who had made such a bold, aggressive bid. When they recognized his face, the extravagance made perfect sense. It was Patriarch Huang Xiaoming, the head of the wealthiest of the five ruling families and a man widely rumored to possess so much money he could put ghosts to work. Few in the audience knew he was also the biological father of the auctioneer.
"Any other bids before Patriarch Huang claims this pill for his family vaults?" Huang Shengyi asked, her voice carrying a subtle undertone suggesting that her family already held an abundance of such pills.
The hall remained completely silent. With a small, practiced sigh, she declared the patriarch the official winner of the item.
"Our next item is a grey wolf that has been tamed perfectly, to the point that it will obey any order, whatever it may be," she continued, her voice so enchanting that few men in the crowd were able to stand straight.